Everybody knows about Job, Christians and non-Christians alike.
Christians can't figure him out and are afraid that God might do the same to them. Non-Christians point to him as the example of why not to trust God. But everyone's heard of him, and his name is synonymous for someone who's life is in the dumper.
Two Interpretations
There are two primary interpretations of the story of Job floating around. The first is based on Job 1:12, where God says to Satan "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him."
There are two primary interpretations of the story of Job floating around. The first is based on Job 1:12, where God says to Satan "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him."
This view says that, at that moment, God released Satan to do whatever he wanted to him, to test him, just because He could. [The last part is never spoken by Christians, but who else but a capricious tyrant would do such a thing?]
Of course, the fact that Satan disobeyed God is conveniently ignored. God told him not to touch Job himself, but Satan disobeyed and put horrible sicknesses on him.
The second view, the one I subscribe to, is that in Job 1:12 God is telling Satan something he already knows. The word 'behold' means to look...Job was already in Satan's power for several reasons and Satan was taunting God.
First, Job was not born again, and therefore not delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His Beloved Son [Colossians 1:13]. So even though God had put a hedge about him [v.10] he was already in Satan's power.
Second, Job himself tells us what happened in 3:25..."For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me." He realized that his fear was a sort of faith reversed...as faith accesses the blessings of God, so fear draws evil. We see this in Job 1:5, where he continually sacrifices for his children because he is afraid that they may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. In doing so, he drew to them the wages of sin!
The rest of the book describes Job's and his friend's reasonings--how can they explain such things? We finally see the truth in Job 42 where we see God displeased with Job's friends. What were they saying that displeased Him? That it was somehow Job's fault, that God was testing him, etc. etc. [This is also conveniently overlooked in most sermons about Job.]
At the end, we see the will of God. 'The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.' [Job 2510]
He was the One who put the hedge of protection around Job in the first place! [Job 1:10] Job was the one who pierced the hedge, by his fear and unbelief!
The Bottom Line
But here's the really great thing about Job...no matter which way you interpret the book, it doesn't apply to us! We're redeemed from the curse of the law, because Jesus became a curse for us! [Galatians 3:13] Jesus bore it all for us...anything we may have warranted as a result of our sin or our Adamic nature was obliterated by the blood of the Lamb!
But here's the really great thing about Job...no matter which way you interpret the book, it doesn't apply to us! We're redeemed from the curse of the law, because Jesus became a curse for us! [Galatians 3:13] Jesus bore it all for us...anything we may have warranted as a result of our sin or our Adamic nature was obliterated by the blood of the Lamb!
We get all the blessings of the Old Covenant and none of the curse or penalty! 2 Corinthians 1:20 says 'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen [so be it] to the glory of God through us.' That also settles the issue of 'sometimes the answer is no...'
An aside...remember, Paul was a Hebrew--whether He wrote in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, to him the glory of God meant heavy with all of His goodness! Remember when Moses asked to see God's glory? In reply, God describes His glory in Exodus 33:18 "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you..."
Of course, He had to hide Moses in the cleft of a rock so that he wouldn't die! But not us! We're filled with His glory! Jesus gave it to us in John 17:22! We are being transformed from glory to glory, right now! [2 Corinthians 3:18]
Stephen saw His glory in Acts 7:55 right before he died...he didn't die from the glory, he died from stoning!
2 Corinthians 4:6 puts it this way...'For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One Who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.' Jesus is the '...radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature...' [Hebrews 1:3] and we're one Spirit with the Lord! [1 Corinthians 6:17] Hallelujah!!
The Point Is...
Okay, back to the topic...
Okay, back to the topic...
The point is this: if you are in Christ Jesus, you are redeemed from whatever happened to Job, regardless of how or why it happened to him.
This may be confusing at first, because we see pain and tragedy all around us in the Church. Blessings are already ours, just like Hagar's well was already there for her [see Believe You Receive 2 for more detail]. But, like her, you have to see the blessing and access it by faith! Believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth!
We should not be sick or broke, and our children should not be dying for any reason! We are the redeemed, purchased back from slavery, and we must SAY SO!
So put the Job question to rest. What happened to him is NOT Gods will for you, no matter how many preachers or teachers tell you it is. Romans 12:2 tells us that the will of God for us is '...that which is good and acceptable and perfect!' And Romans 12:1 tells us how to get it...renew your mind! Lay aside any heresy that tells you different, and believe what the Word says! If you feel like Job, lay the blame where it belongs. "The thief comes only to 1) steal and 2) kill and 3) destroy; I came that they [you] may have life, and have it abundantly [have abundance]."
Praise the Lord!
